Former Tottenham Hotspur and England striker Jermain Defoe has announced that he is hanging up his boots with immediate effect, bringing to an end a 22-year career in football.
In January, Defoe signed for Sunderland on a short-term deal until the end of the 2021-22 season, but has decided to bow out early from his contract with the Black Cats.
Defoe began his Premier League career with West Ham United, but made his name at Tottenham Hotspur, whom he joined in February 2004. 43 goals in 139 appearances for the Lilywhites followed, before an unsuccessful move to Portsmouth which ultimately saw Spurs bring him back to White Hart Lane only a season after selling him to the south coast side.
His second spell with the north London club was almost identical to his first, with Defoe racking up 47 goals in 135 appearances across a five-year stint, while he continued to impress at national team level too, scoring 20 times in 57 England caps.
Leaving Tottenham for Sunderland in 2015, Defoe then spent time at Bournemouth and Rangers before rejoining the Black Cats in January.
The ultimate poacher
Often used alongside Peter Crouch or someone similarly physical, Defoe became the central focus of a 'little and large' striking experiment that saw the diminutive forward paired with a taller partner, who would win the ball from an initial long ball, knocking it down to Defoe.
One of the best finishers in Premier League history, he was also useful as a super-sub, boasting the record for scoring the most Premier League goals off the bench (24), as well as the record for the most substitute goals for the England national team (7).
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